Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Song Stuck in My Head: “I
Believe in a Thing Called Love” by the Darkness. The highest of high notes are
hit in this tune.

So, I’ve been thinking about
characterization a lot more lately. After all, my WIP and I have made up (for
now, grrr) and the more I write the more I realize how gaping my teenage
characters’ flaws are. Which seems pretty ridiculous, since I am a teenager and
all blah blah blah, but it happens. After all, a lot of us make the same
mistakes.

For instance, unless it’s
about the smoking hot supernatural being they’re dating, our YA characters just
have no passion anymore. Which makes no sense - I mean, I can think of kids at
my own school who get fiery about politics or world issues. Let alone issues
right around them.

Or what about their passion
for fun and hobbies, not counting sulking, reading/writing, shooting arrows,
and pining after outcasts. Do you ever see any YA characters who collect stamps
or model airplanes whilst during their YA shenanigans? Didn’t think so. Surely
our YA characters could use more pastimes. Like OD’ing on Tumblr or Call of
Duty marathons. You know. Normal teen stuff.

What about college? School
and education is barely mentioned in my WIP, for good reasons. But it seems
like a lot more YA leaves out academics for no good reason other than there
weren’t enough pages. We all know the debate on how unrealistic the college
process is depicted in teen novels - but why is that? Even having characters
talk about which state college they’re applying to or break down in front of
their school counselor might add a layer of reality to their stories.

Even the characters who do go
to college, like in teen TV shows, rarely ever have a real career choice or
major. Think of all the shows you’ve seen about freshman year…Dawson’s Creek,
Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, 90210, One Tree Hill, Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
That 70’s Show, etc. Can you name THREE of their character’s majors in college?
I’ll give you a minute…back yet? Exactly. The I-don’t-know-what-I-want-to-do-with-my-life
storyline is great, but at least give them some interests.

And lastly…family! I’m mad at
how little of a role my main character’s family plays in my story. But that
happens more and more too. Yet in real life, all my teen-aged friends seem to
have family issues and drama every day. Clearly parents and loved ones should
play an important role in a YA character’s life, even if they are out with
their angel-werewolf boyfriends or fulfilling ancient prophecies. Maybe they
give advice. Maybe they are overprotective. Maybe they just care. You never
know.

Okay. That’s all. I’m writing
this at night so…I’m going to go to sleep now. Another important part of being
a teenager, of course.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Quick Update: Well, I’ll be
back at school next week. Yay. (And that, my friends, would be sarcasm.)

Song Stuck in My Head: “Settle
Down” by No Doubt. The people at my local Top 40 station are apparently huge ND
fans, because it’s been sort of No Doubt’s greatest hits for a few weeks now.

While most of the world is in
London watching athletic superhumans (er, Olympians) compete against each
other, it seems like some of our English friends have been invading the states
this past year. From boy bands to comedians to TV shows, America has yet
another British invasion happening as we speak. So what’s some of the best we’ve
seen come from it so far?

1. One Direction: The boy
band you pretend isn’t catchy.

2. The Wanted: The boy band you
pretend isn’t hot.

3. Pudsey the Dog, winner of Britain's Got Talent: That dog is adorable. Sure, he won a lot of money for dancing while we
all have jobs, but isn’t he adorable?

4. Richard Ayoade: The new member of the comedy-rat-pack over here in the states, thanks to his
alien-hunting adventures with Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn, and Ben Stiller in the movie "The Watch".

5. Simon Amstell: The
awkward comedian who is JESSE EISENBURG’S AND MICHAEL CERA'S LOVE CHILD. Really! Look at him! Screenwriters
everywhere, put these three together in a movie and you will have socially awkward movie GOLD.

6. Andrew Garfield: The star
of The Amazing Spiderman, now the thick-eyebrowed, nerdy-yet-oh-so-hot star of
our hearts. And the accent isn’t even that obvious!

7. Russell Brand: After his
divorce from Katy Perry, it seemed like this raunchy man might vanish into
infamy - until he got a show on FX.

8. Sophia Grace and Rosie: They
rapped and screamed and danced into Youtube stardom, but thanks to Ellen
Degeneres are now the two most adored Brits of daytime television. Pink tutus
for everyone.

9. Actually, now that we
think of it… Adele, Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds, Florence + the
Machine, etc. Britain hasn’t been too stingy with its female singers the past
year or two. Thanks guys!

And…

10. Daniel Radcliffe. First he was here in the states to perform in plays. But then, very slowly, Mr. Radcliffe started showing up more and more in American pop culture - Saturday Night Live, guest-hosting on Live With Kelly, doing a voiceover on the Simpsons. Now
that he’s signed to do a movie in the states, "Kill Your Darlings", it’s official.
AMERICA OWNS HARRY POTTER! USA! USA! USA!!!

Ahem. Are they any British
people and pop culture blowing up in the states right now that you particularly
enjoy?

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Song Stuck In My Head: “Toxic”
by Britney Spears. (What? Is that wrong?)

Well, it’s been a week since
the K-Stew-cheating-mindfuck, annnnd whether you’re a Twihard, a cultural
Twihard who only respects major holidays like me, or someone who enjoys a
Twilight-related laugh here and then, you heard about it. Hopefully you didn’t
react like this girl

.

While there is still a lot of
stuff to talk about with Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson’s real-life drama
(including more information about that Rupert Sanders guy and why none of us
are hating him more, or why doesn’t ANYONE remember Kristin left actor Michael
Arangano for Robert so not the best track record) it does make you wonder. Think of all the series we’ve
read or watched - what if two lead actors were to date, and then break-up, just
before the final movie? What would happen?

Let’s imagine - in the style
of star-studded tabloid, of course.

1. AFTER DATING FOR ONLY A
MONTH, JENNIFER LAWRENCE LEAVES JOSH HUTCHERSON FOR LIAM HENDRICKSON ON EVE OF “MOCKINGJAY”
PREMIERE. Team Gale members over the world rejoice; Miley Cyrus plans next
move.

2. SCARLETT JOHANSSON
AND CHRIS EVANS BREAK UP AFTER SMALL FLING ON “AVENGERS 2” SET.

Chris set it’s like “having a bullet go through my heart”.

3. DURING FILMING OF “AMAZING
SPIDER-MAN” SEQUEL, EMMA STONE REPORTEDLY STARTED SEEING TOBEY MACGUIRE OVER
ANDREW GARFIELD. Apparently when it comes to Spider-man, everybody doesn't just get one.

4. YOUNG STARS OF “DIARY OF A
WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS” GO THROUGH FIRST EVER BREAK-UP DURING FILMING OF FINAL "DIARY" MOVIE. Talk
about puppy love.

What movie/book series can
you think of that could have a lot of drama if the stars got involved? Bonus
points if you come up with your own celebrity tabloid teaser.

So, before we go into all the
postings of blogs and stuff, I just wanted to give everyone a quick shout-out.
We survived another summer of blog hiatuses and now that my senior year is
here, along with my constant access to the internet all over again, I hope that
I can get back to talking to everyone and having fun with everyone and talking
about all the YA and pop culture junk we love.

Some updates:

1. I finally changed my blog
bio! Man, that needed freshening up. I considered finally changing the picture,
but it’s a brand now. And it’s just so darn cute.

2. I did just get back from a
week-long and AWESOOOOME trip to Washington D.C for a high school journalism
conference. It was my first time on a plane, among other things, and it was
pretty neat. So maybe expect a blog on that soon.

3. I did want to thank some
of my new followers for you know…following me and
stuff. 50 followers is pretty impressive to me, even if three of those are my best friend and me. :/ And if you’re brand, shiny new and decide to follow me, feel free to
leave a comment and say hello. I always (try) to follow back! : )

Okay. You know the tradition
here at SSF…every time I’m away from the interwebs too long, I must apologize…with
LOLcatz! Enjoy.

ABOUT SSF

Writer/blogger person, semiprofessional teenager, pop culture junkie, and gum chewer. Her fangirl-dom (-ness? -ity?) began in the elementary school days, when she had every Pokemon merchandise and carried around a Powderpuff Girls doll when others made up imaginary friends. Nowadays, she’s into more…sophisticated stuff. Okay not too sophisticated. Whether her mad skills, like writing over the word limit or knowing everything about every Harry Potter book or fangirling at the speed of light, will come in handy…remains to be seen.

Fun Facts about SSF!

SSF’s favorite band is Australian, her favorite singer is Canadian, and favorite childhood band was British (no, not Beatles, surprisingly). Yet SSF is supposedly just Arizonian (or so the birth certificate says).

SSF once received a tweet from screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body, Young Adult). On 9/20/10 to be exact. It. Was. AWESOME.

SSF has only read the first two chapters of 50 Shades of Grey. She says it’s much like being a kid allowed to watch the first two scenes of a R-rated movie - then being told to go to bed right as the gore/naughty stuff begins.

SSF does have a YA/urban fantasy series WIP, which she’s been writing since seventh grade. She can’t share all the juicy details, but the plot involves dream world monsters, mental hospitals, and lots of indie music.

SSF does hope to be an entertainment journalist one day. Maybe all this blogging and posting pictures of LOLcatz will lead to great things one day. Until then, let’s have fun, shall we?

TO COMPLETE AND UTTER STRANGERS

Tune into Some Screaming Fangirl (SSF) for blogs that look at the YA (young adult/teen) side of the book industry, with a fresh, teen perspective. Also expect tons of pop culture reviews and discussions (you know, like movies, music, TV, videogames, other books). Sometimes SSF even does both! Entertainment AND writing tips! Like a playlist for writing fight scenes or what TV show finales can teach us or the different types of best friends you see in movies.

Is there a YA topic you want to talk about? Maybe a slice of pop culture you feel like fangirling/boying out about? Leave a comment or let me know at somescreamingfangirl@gmail.com. Or just hit that follow button. I like friends.